Samsung released some official details regarding their new Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Alpha smartphone, and it appears that many of the reported leaks and speculation surrounding the device were right on the money. This is indeed an elegant phone, as evidenced by the promotional video on YouTube, and it seems to be firing shots at Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6. The Alpha features a similar screen size and form factor, and the notorious, classy metal frame.

Official Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha was crafted for elegance with a certain dapper style not found in Samsung’s large library of devices. The Alpha’s edges are entirely framed in chrome or gold metal, depending on which color option the user chooses.

The display size is 4.7 inches, which makes the device appear more reminiscent of the older iPhone 4s than previous Samsung phones. “Galaxy Alpha is powered by an octa-core Exynos CPU with four cores at 1.8 GHz and four at 1.3 GHz, with 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage and a 12-megapixel rear camera, along with a 1,860 mAh battery,” according to AndroidCentral.

Further specifications include a SuperAMOLED panel type for the display, with a pixel density of 312 ppi. Android KitKat 4.4.4. will come pre-installed. Users can also expect to see Samsung’s latest version of the TouchWiz skin for the Android user interface.

PremiumIdentity Crisis

Surprisingly, Samsung is pitching this as a premium device, an interesting move from the company that arguably pioneered the larger display and phablet style smartphone as a high-end alternative to smaller devices. The new Samsung Galaxy Alpha ranked third out of seven comparable devices in a recent AnTuTu Benchmark test, GSMArena reports. The Alpha took the lead over the popular Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8).

The Galaxy Alpha will be available toward the beginning of September, around the same time as the expected launch of Apple’s iPhone 6, and will be available in gold, blue, black, and white.

Do you think the Alpha has what it takes to compete with other premium smartphones?